The polling firm Gallup reported this year that 39 percent of Americans accept the truth of evolution, that 36 percent have no opinion on it, and that 25 said they don’t believe it. With such apathy toward the natural world, it’s no wonder children from other nations have surpassed American students in science and technology.

Jerry Moore

Something on the radio last week really bugged me.

Supporters of Sarah Palin were calling to discuss why they like her. One fan said: “So, she believes the Earth is 6,000 years old. That’s OK. … Maybe what we need (in the White House) is a caveman mentality.”

Charles Darwin may have been amused by the caller’s juxtaposition of the former Alaska governor as someone who doesn’t believe cavemen existed while thinking like one of them. Or he may have been bewildered that our political leaders hold such primitive views.

This week marks the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s first book on evolution, “On the Origin of Species.” Thoroughly scrutinized, Darwin’s monumental work has stood the test of time.

The polling firm Gallup reported this year that 39 percent of Americans accept the truth of evolution, that 36 percent have no opinion on it, and that 25 said they don’t believe it. With such apathy toward the natural world, it’s no wonder children from other nations have surpassed American students in science and technology.

Religious beliefs are best passed on through families. In an online comment of one of our stories, a reader advocated “the complete integration in everyday life of religious values” as a way of reducing abhorrent behavior.

The commenter makes a very good point. But some people want to inject their personal religious principles into science curriculums because they believe practices such as teaching evolution lie at the heart of what ails this country.

They’re wrong. We’re getting hurt globally because we cling more to myth and ideology rather than to reason and scholarship. The world marketplace is soon not going to have much room left for people who want to re-argue the Scopes Monkey Trial.

Suburban Life Publications opinions editor Jerry Moore can be reached at (630) 368-8930 or jmoore@mysuburbanlife.com.